Incremental printing of symbolic information – Thermal marking apparatus or processes
Reexamination Certificate
1997-09-23
2004-11-02
Nghiem, Michael (Department: 2863)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Thermal marking apparatus or processes
Reexamination Certificate
active
06812943
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to tape printing apparatus. The present invention also relates to tape holding cases for holding a supply of tape.
2. Prior Art
Known tape printing apparatuses of the type with which the present invention is generally concerned are disclosed in EP-A-322918 and EP-A-322919 (Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha) and EP-A-267890 (Varitronics). These tape printing apparatuses each include a cassette receiving bay for receiving a cassette or tape holding case. In EP-A-0267890, the tape holding case houses an ink ribbon and a substrate tape, the latter comprising an upper image receiving layer secured to a backing layer by an adhesive. In EP-A-322918 and EP-A-322919, the tape holding case houses an ink ribbon, a transparent image receiving tape and a double-sided adhesive tape which is secured at one of its adhesive coated sides to the image receiving tape after printing and which has a backing layer peelable from its other adhesive coated side. With both these apparatuses, the image transfer medium (ink ribbon) and the image receiving tape (substrate) are in the same cassette.
The present invention relates more closely to a different type of tape printing apparatus which is described for example in EP-A-578372, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference. In this printing apparatus, the substrate tape is similar to that described in EP-A-267890 but is housed in its own tape holding case while the ink ribbon is similarly housed in its own tape holding case.
The known tape printing apparatuses have input means, for example a keyboard, to allow the user to input an image to be printed. A display is generally also provided to display the input image or messages to the user. A cutting arrangement is provided to separate the image receiving tape on which an image has been printed from the supply of image receiving tape to thereby define a label.
In the known tape printing apparatuses, the image receiving tape passes in an overlap fashion with the ink ribbon through a print zone consisting of a fixed print head and a platen against which the print head can be pressed to cause an image to transfer from the ink ribbon to the image receiving tape. This is usually done by thermal printing where the print head is heated and the beat causes ink from the ink ribbon to be transferred to the image receiving tape. This type of printing is known as thermal transfer printing. Alternatively, the print head may be in direct contact with a thermally sensitive image receiving tape whereby when the print head is heated, an image is printed directly on the image receiving tape. In this case, an ink ribbon is not required. This type of printing is known as direct thermal printing. It has been proposed by the present applicants that a tape printing apparatus be capable of printing an image on an image receiving tape using an ink ribbon and also directly on a thermally sensitive image receiving tape.
However, the print head operating characteristics required to print on thermally sensitive image receiving tapes and on image receiving tapes via an ink ribbon generally differ. Accordingly, the tape printing apparatus will generally have two modes of operation for the print head, depending on whether the print head is to carry out direct thermal printing or thermal transfer printing. It is therefore desirable that the tape printing apparatus be constructed such that tape printing apparatuses can determine whether the print head should be operable in a direct thermal printing mode or a thermal transfer printing mode.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a tape printing apparatus for printing an image on an image receiving tape comprising:
a thermal print head for printing an image on the image receiving tape, the print head having a first mode of operation and a second mode of operation;
receiving means for receiving in the first mode of operation a supply of image receiving tape and a supply of ink ribbon for providing an image on the image receiving tape, and in the second mode of operation a supply of thermally sensitive image receiving tape;
driving means for driving the ink ribbon;
control means for controlling the thermal print head; and
detecting means for detecting if ink ribbon is present or absent in the receiving means and arranged to provide a signal to the control means indicative of the presence or absence of ink ribbon, the control means being arranged to control the print head to have the first mode of operation when ink ribbon is present and the second mode of operation when no ink ribbon is present, wherein the detecting means is arranged to detect, when the driving means is activated, a characteristic indicative of movement of the ink ribbon to determine if ink ribbon is present.
Thus, a determination can be made as to whether or not ink ribbon is present and hence the mode of operation for the print head. The print head can thus have a first mode of operation in which thermal transfer printing can be successfully carried out and a second mode of operation in which direct thermal printing can be successfully carried out.
The ink ribbon may be rotatable mounted on a support member and the detecting means may be arranged to detect a characteristic indicative of rotational movement of the ink ribbon. In one embodiment of the present invention, the rotatable support members has a first speed of rotation when an ink ribbon is present and a second speed of rotation when no ink ribbon is present, and the detecting means is arranged to detect a characteristic indicating the speed of rotation of the rotatable support member. Thus, as the detecting means is able to detect a characteristic indicating speed of rotation of the rotatable support member and hence whether or not ink ribbon is present, it can be determined whether or not the print head is to have the first or second mode of operation.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the rotatable support means is driven by drive means, the rotatable support means rotating more quickly when no ink ribbon is present as compared to when ink ribbon is present. The rotatable support member may be arranged to support take-up means for taking up an ink ribbon, when present. In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the ink ribbon is driven past the print head and once the print head has printed an image on the image receiving tape, the ink ribbon is taken up onto the take-up means. The take-up means may be in the form of a take-up reel. The presence of the ink ribbon on the rotatable support member acts as a brake and thus reduces the speed of rotation of the driven support member. Preferably, the rotatable support member is coupled via a slipping clutch to a driving gear of the drive means, whereby when no ink ribbon is present, the support member rotates at the same speed as the driving gear and when an ink ribbon is present, the slipping clutch slips so that the rotatable support member rotates at a lower speed than the driving gear.
The support member for supporting the supply of ink ribbon may be freely rotatable such that the rotatable support member is substantially stationary when no ink ribbon is present and rotates when an ink ribbon is present. The supply of ink ribbon may be the unused supply of ink ribbon which is subsequently used to print an image on the image receiving tape. It should be appreciated that in some embodiments of the present invention, a take-up reel and/or a reel for holding a supply of ink ribbon may be provided. Characteristics of the support member for one or other or both of these reels or of the reels themselves may be used to determine if an ink ribbon is present.
The reel for the ink ribbon may be supported on the rotatable support member and the detecting means may be arranged to monitor the speed of rotation of the reel to provide an indication of the speed of rotation of the support member. The reel can support the supply of ink ribbon, prior to its use or tak
Day Robert Charles Lewis
Halket Andrew Buchanan
Palmer Mathew Richard
Sims Charles Robert
Esselte
Morgan & Lewis & Bockius, LLP
Nghiem Michael
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